Herbal Remedies Offer Sun Protection

Sunscreen may not be the only way to protect yourself from the damaging rays of the sun. Preliminary research suggests some herbal agents, taken orally or applied topically, can help prevent sunburn and limit the skin damage caused by excessive exposure to ultraviolet light. The study, published in the journal Alternative and ComplementaryTherapies, specifically identified three natural products that may offer some protection from the sun’s rays: Golden serpent fern, Asian ginseng and green tea extracts. While more studies are needed to quantify and qualify the protective effects of such natural products, the researchers said small studies of herbal remedies have been promising.SPECIAL: These 4 Things Happen Right Before a Heart Attack — Read More.“Numerous natural products show promise as photo-protective agents,” the researchers concluded. “Unlike anything in conventional medicine, there are several herbal products that appear to be active, when taken orally, to prevent sunburn or other local negative effects of excessive UV exposure, and also systemic negative effects. Some agents are also effective topically with good safety profiles, although these have generally not been as well-studied as systemic herbal extracts.”

According to the study, Asian ginseng (also known as Panax ginseng) and golden serpent fern (Phlebodium aureum or Polypodium leucatomos) are herbal products that, when taken orally, have been shown to reduce the negative effects of UV rays – including the risk of skin cancer, immune system impacts and wrinkles. Sufficiently high oral doses or topical applications of extracts from green tea (Camellia sinensis) have also been shown to protect the skin.SPECIAL: These 4 Things Happen Right Before a Heart Attack — Read More.

“More thorough and complete research including work on optimal dosing and preparations – with direct comparisons to existing synthetic agents in every case to prove equivalence or superiority in terms of efficacy and safety – are urgently needed,” the researchers said. “But…but natural products look promising as photo-protectives.”

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